Adjustable needle-guard for finger protection.



A. W. PETERSON;

ADJUSTABLE NEEDLE GUARD FOR FINGER PROTECTION.

APPLIQATION FILED 0CT.12, 1915 1,1 91,726.. I Patented July 13; 1916.

AM Rafe/15022 A TTORNEYS nnrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBEa'r'w. PETERSON, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

ADJUSTABLE NEEDLE-GUARD FOR FINGER PROTECTION.

machines, and has for an object the provi-- sion of an improved construction which may be quickly and easily adjusted to guard the fingers against being struck by the needle, or adjusted to be positioned out of the way.

Another object in view is to provide an adjustable guard for sewing machines which may be clamped to the bar carrying the foot and arranged with adjustable members whereby a transparent glass will guard the front part of the foot so as to prevent the placing of the fingers accidentally beneath the needle while allowing the free passage of cloth during the sewing operation.

A still further object in view is to provide a simple, strong, adjustable construction quickly and easily applied and removed without affecting any of the parts of the sewing machine.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of the head of a sewing machine, an embodiment of the invention being shown in connection therewith; Fig. 2 is a top plan view 'of the guard shown in Fig. 1, the post carrying the foot being shown in connection therewith; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but disclosing a slightly modified form of the invention; Fig. 1 discloses a further modified form of the invention in which the guard is attached to a sewing machine having a plurality of needles; Fig. 5 is a front view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front view of a slightly modified form of glass retainer frame.

Referring to the accompanying drawing by numerals, 1 indicates the head of a sewing machine of any suitable kind and 2 the usual post which carries the foot 3. Arranged in the head '1 is the usual. needle shaft 4 which carries the needle 5 which passes back and forth through the foot 3 in the usual way. During the ordinary use of the machine it is not unusual for an operator to be struck by the needle 5. In orderto Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 19-16.

Application filed October 12, 1915. Serial No. 55,489.

prevent this a guard frame 6 is provided which carries a glass 7 whereby the fingers of an operator cannot be' struck by the needle, while the operator mav freely see the needle and the cloth as the same passes beneath the needle.

As shown'in Fig. 1, the frame 6 is formed from channel metal and provided with side members 8 and 9 and a bottom member 10 together with a brace 11 at the top. arm 12 extends from the side member 8 and is formed with a roughened portion 13 hav ing a threaded aperture therethrough which accommodates the thumb screw 1%, which thumb screw passes through a threaded aperture in the link 15. The link 15 is provided with a roughened portion which faces the roughened portion 13 whereby whenthe screw 1% is tightened the frame 6 cannot be moved. Link 15 is provided with a roughened portion 16 in which an aperture is formed and through which the pin 17 passes so as to be screwed into a threaded aperture in the turned over portion 18 of bar 19, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2. Bar 19 is provided with a curved section 20 which is roughened on the inner face, whereby the same may readily grasp post 2. A clamping member 21 is also provided, as shown in Fig. 2, which acts with the bar 19 when the screws 22 and 23 are operated for rigidly clamping bar 19 to post 2. Preferably the screws 22 and 23. are secured in threaded apertures in clamping member 21,but if desired nuts could be provided in place of said threaded apertures.

The frame '6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is rectangular but it is evident that this construction may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention, as the same may be made in other shapes. In Fig. 6 is shown a slightly modified form of frame 6 which is rounded at the lower end and accommodates a correspondingly shaped glass 7. In Fig. 4E the frame 6 is made comparatively wide but somewhat rounded at the lower end, the width of the frame being designed to accommodate a comparatively wide glass 7 so as to protect against the hand of the operator engaging any of the plurality of the needles opposite the glass, as shown in Fig. 4. This particular form of guard is used on machines having more than one needle. Aside from the shape of the frame 6 and glass 7 the construc tion is the same as in the preferred form and will therefore need no additional description.

In Fig. 3 will be seen a slightly modified form wherein the link 15 is formed with a bent end 24 so that the bar 19 may remain straight and the thumb screw 16 be caused to pass through the extension 24 and into the threaded end of bar 19. By this arrangement the link 15 may be rotated, the center of rotation being the center of the thumb screw 16, whereby the frame 6 and associated parts may be raised and lowered. In the preferred form when it is desired to raise and lower the frame the thumb screw 16 is loosened and the link 15 is swung on said pin. It will be observed that by the use of screw 16 or 16 the protecting glass 7 may be raised and lowered and by the use of the screw 14 and associated parts the protecting glass window and associated parts may be moved toward and from the needle or, if desired, the frame 6- and associated parts may be moved entirely out of I the way.

hat I claim is:

1. A finger guard for sewing machines, comprising a frame having a glass mounted therein and provided with an arm having at its end a roughened surface and a vertical aperture, a clamp adapted to be secured to the foot post and provided with an arm having at its end a roughened surface and a horizontal aperture, a link having at one end a roughened surface and a horizontal aperture and at its other end a roughened surface and a vertical aperture, and thumb screws securing the ends of the link to the arms of the frame and clamp.

52. A finger guard for sewing machines, comprising a frame having a glass mounted therein and provided with an arm, a clamp adapted to be secured to the foot post, said clamp comprising an arm and a clamping member adjustably secured to said arm, said arm and member having opposed curved portions to fit upon the foot post, and a link having one end adjustably piv oted to the arm of the clamp by a horizontal pivot, the arm of the frame being adjustably pivoted to the other end of the link by a vertical pivot.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT W. PETERSON.

Witnesses A. L. KrroHIN, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. G. 

